Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 with Charles Stern’s unique special request dial | Christie's Watches

#AntiqueClock"In 1943 Charles Stern, the owner of Patek Philippe, commissioned a watch for himself from his own company.

Patek had recently launched the 1518, featuring the firm’s unmatchable perpetual calendar, and the watch that Stern ordered was a version of that model. But he also wanted a dial that went beyond the production design. And for that Charles Stern turned to his old family firm, Fabrique de Cadrans Sterns Frères of Geneva.

The dial is, in a strange way, a self-portrait of the man. The hour markers feature a golden XII rather than an Arabic 12 — Roman numerals were a personal preference of Stern’s. The other hours are marked not by numbers but by cabochon rubies — together they form a little constellation on the face of the watch, a touch that is rich but also unobtrusive."